MBAA Degree Helps Alumnus Share the Story of Aviation and Aerospace

An aviation and space geek, Worldwide graduate Marc Sklar (’15) always wanted to tell stories about what he loves most – things that fly.

Every industry needs storytellers and Sklar has found a unique opportunity to fuse his background in communications with his passion for air and space travel.

Sklar spent over a decade of his career producing and reporting for news outlets like CNN and freelancing for aviation publications before landing at The Boeing Company. As a communications specialist, he led efforts for manufacturing sites and programs and learned about everything from hovercraft and spacecraft to human resources and international trade regulations.

“In the corporate world, communications has moved from a function that puts out press releases and statements at the request of leadership to being a strategic partner,” he said.

Why earn an MBAA at Embry‑Riddle?

To advance in his career, Sklar knew he’d need a more in-depth understanding of the industry.

“You have to understand the other parts of the business so you can provide communications advice that supports the function or program you’re working with in the best way possible,” he said.

Seeking a flexible program, Sklar found the MBA in Aviation (MBAA) from Embry‑Riddle’s Worldwide Campus to be a perfect fit.

“I loved that each project I did meant I had to dig further into and learn more about aviation and aerospace,” Sklar said. “It’s stuff I liked to read about for fun, but this gave me access to databases and libraries where I could get way into the weeds of things I never might have time to explore otherwise.”

What is an MBAA degree at Embry‑Riddle?

One of the university’s first-ever certificate-based graduate programs, the MBAA degree provides strong foundations for success in any facet of the global aviation business arena and allows students to design an educational path tailored to their unique interests.

It provides the traditional business skills of an MBA that are applicable to all industries but is unique in its focus on the aviation and aerospace landscapes.

The MBAA program is designed to emphasize the application of modern business concepts, methods and tools to the challenges of aviation and business.

The special intricacies of aviation are woven into a strong, traditional business foundation by combining a specific core of distinct business competencies with a strong aviation foundation.

Where can you work with an MBAA degree from Embry‑Riddle?

In 2018, he joined the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum as the director of communications. He now manages all internal and external communications for the museum along with overseeing its digital department.

“I think both having the recent MBAA and being able to discuss the topics covered with fresh and up-to-date knowledge made me a more attractive candidate when applying for the job at the museum,” he said.

From skills in human resources and budgeting to aviation operations knowledge, Sklar applies lessons learned in the program to his work every day. It doesn’t hurt that he gets to see awe-inspiring artifacts like the Spirit of St. Louis, Bell X-1 and Apollo Lunar Module on the daily walk to his office.

“I get to lead a team that helps share those stories every day, and inspiring kids to think about doing amazing things when they grow up makes it easy to get up and go to work each morning,” he said.